Norfolk County Championships: competition opportunities for all new age groups
Athletics Norfolk recently held their County Championships, incorporating a funetics Multi-Challenge event for U10 athletes and traditional events for U12 athletes, worked into their licensed event for older age group and senior competitors.
With the new age groups now in effect, there are plenty of competition opportunities available to young athletes in the U10 and U12 age groups.
The event was a great example of how competition providers can put on competition opportunities for U10 and U12 athletes, within a licensed competition.
U10 and U12 athletes are encouraged to take part in fun, flexible, local, team events as an introduction to competition opportunities before they enter structured, individual events.
U12 competition opportunities
UK Athletics recently published their updated Rules for Competition, incorporating the new even age groups. Whilst the rulebook changes to age groups mention U12s and their requirement to register to their Home Country Association to compete, they are not listed as an official age group where competition licensing and rules apply.
U12 athletes will not be able to compete as U14s, and instead have competition opportunities, like those provided at Norfolk County Championships, within their own age group.
Making events fully inclusive
Clive Poyner is the Chairman of Athletics Norfolk, as well as being an Elected Director of England Athletics. At the county championships, Clive spoke about the importance of inclusive events:
"The championships here, we try and make sure are fully inclusive. We range from U10s all the way through to V90 - we had a V90 GB record here this weekend. Particularly for the funetics Multi-Challenge (fMC) competition, it really gives those age groups the opportunity to see what potentially they could aspire to be.
"We invite them to come along, be involved, be supported and generally enjoy the day and have fun, which is obviously the title of the programme. In terms of fMC events, we've made sure that we can incorporate everything. We want to fully showcase what this sport's all about."
Fun, flexible competition
Willow is an U10 athlete who competed in the funetics Multi-Challenge event, and was delighted to come third in the 50m race which was part of it. Willow said:
"I would like to do another event like this, because it is really fun and I've made lots of new friends."
Clive points out that it's important at U10 and U12 age groups, the focus is on fun, flexible, local competition opportunities.
"It's run, jump, throw, all the basic movements of athletics. It's quite important that they don't overdevelop and overfocus too early, so giving them a run, jump throw, a short sprint and an endurance event, gives them the opportunity to try all aspects of the sport before they decide to focus on one.
"Bringing the age groups in line that way, I think has made a big benefit."